Former Army Cadet Sentenced to Detention for Terrorism, Stalking & Indecent Images After Threatening to Ruin School Prom

A former Army Cadet who threatened to “ruin prom”, stalked two schoolgirls and a teacher, and amassed terrorism material including bomb-making guides and extremist propaganda has been sentenced to four years and six months’ detention.

Dihan Rahman, 19, of Southall, pleaded guilty to three counts of possession of documents likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism, alongside three counts of stalking and three counts of making indecent images of children. He was sentenced at the Old Bailey following an investigation by Counter Terrorism Policing London.

The court heard Rahman had downloaded and retained material including a pipe bomb tutorial, videos demonstrating how to construct explosives, and extremist content spanning both Islamist and extreme right-wing ideologies. Analysis of his mobile phone, computer and encrypted storage devices revealed a sustained interest in violent material and terrorism-related content.

Prosecutors said his ideology was “mixed”, incorporating misogynistic, incel-driven beliefs alongside pro-ISIS and far-right extremist views. He had also acted as an administrator of an extreme right-wing Telegram group, where he engaged with and distributed extremist material and expressed antisemitic views.

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Bethan David, Head of Counter Terrorism for the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “Dihan Rahman was driven by his extreme ideologies and misogynistic views.

“He was an administrator of an extreme far-right group that is known for its encouragement of violence, he had material containing pro-ISIS, far-right views and depicting violence against women.

“His derogatory views about women and his interest in mixed extreme ideologies drove him to commit the stalking offences causing considerable fear and distress to his victims.”

The offending began after Rahman joined a new school and attempted to form a relationship with one of the victims. When she rejected him, he began a sustained campaign of harassment against her and a second girl, sending repeated messages, attempting to track their movements, and publishing their personal details online in an effort to incite further harassment.

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He later extended his conduct to a female teacher who intervened, making malicious complaints and continuing his pattern of intrusive behaviour.

In the weeks leading up to a school prom, Rahman posted images online of a Nazi-era German soldier holding a firearm alongside messages stating he was “going to ruin prom”. The posts were tagged to the event location, prompting security concerns which led to the venue being relocated and additional security measures being implemented. There was no evidence presented that he had formulated a plan to carry out an attack.

When school staff examined Rahman’s phone, they discovered a collection of disturbing material, including images of him in cadet uniform holding a rope fashioned as a noose, photographs accompanied by the words “kill yourself”, and another image referencing a “Valentines school shooting”.

Further content included images of Adolf Hitler, Saddam Hussein, beheadings, dead bodies, and depictions of violence against women, alongside a written manifesto recovered from his school bag.

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Following his arrest in March 2024, Rahman was released on bail with conditions not to contact his victims, which he subsequently breached. He was later remanded in custody after further evidence emerged that he had continued to post information about the victims online, suggesting they were part of a conspiracy against him.

Commander Helen Flanagan, Head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, said: “This case is yet another example of a growing and concerning trend of young people being drawn into extremist, violent and terrorist ideologies – principally from what they are exposed to and consuming online.

“Rahman’s actions towards his victims – two of whom were teenage girls – were completely unacceptable.”

Rahman entered guilty pleas to the stalking and indecent image offences prior to trial, and admitted the terrorism offences on the second day of proceedings at the Old Bailey. He was sentenced to a total of four years and six months’ detention and will be required to serve a minimum of two-thirds of that term in custody.